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Gail Radtke reviews Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy by Dr. Zazie Todd

In Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy, Dr. Zazie Todd has delivered a book that should be on your reading list, if it isn’t already. I was excited for the release of Wag as I had been a follower of Dr. Todd for quite some time through her blog, Companion Animal Psychology, her business Blue Mountain Animal Behavior and her additional blog with Psychology Today. She is a consistent contributor to the forcefree training philosophy, sharing her desire to educate people on the science of behavior through her writings, volunteer work and now, by reaching a new level with this publication.

The book’s foreword is penned by Dr. Marty Becker DVM and founder of Fear Free®, who states that the work is “meticulously researched and up to date on the latest science about dogs” and highlights Todd’s passion for dogs’ emotional welfare. And this is evident throughout the book. Todd starts out by telling us about her relationships with her own dogs and how adopting Bodger and Ghost, whom the book is dedicated to, changed her life path dramatically. She holds a Ph.D in social psychology and admits that she “didn’t think much about animal learning until we adopted Ghost,” but went on to volunteer at her local branch of the SPCA in Maple Ridge, British Columbia and also became a certified dog trainer.

Todd writes with the ability to captivate both canine professionals and dog guardians who want to learn more about dogs for the benefit of their own pets. As a canine professional, I was taken back by the volume of research she conducted when writing this book and the countless interviews she conducted with many of the learning experts in today’s canine behavioral science fields. And, if you love research as much I do, you will be as excited as I was when I saw the book’s reference section.

Todd takes the reader through the book in stages, like she is building our understanding of dogs from their welfare and development, to how they learn, to their training and health. The discussion includes canine body language and communication, how dogs learn, dogs and other dogs, dogs and their people, walkies, puppies, socialization and early developmental stages, enrichment, fear and other behavior issues, senior dogs, end of life and, at the very end, a checklist for a happy dog.

As you flow through the chapters, the information is delivered in a way that retains the attention of an interested dog guardian without

The book’s foreword is penned by Dr. Marty Becker, DVM and founder of Fear Free®, who states that the work is “meticulously researched and up to date on the latest science about dogs” and highlights Todd’s passion for dogs’ emotional welfare

I feel that Wag is going to be a staple in the canine learning library for all dog people. As Todd explains in the book’s introduction: “Although I write about specific scientific studies, I’ve tried to make them easy to understand and not get too bogged down in technical details.” In this, I believe, she has been successful.

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overwhelming them with terminology and behavioral science but also keeps the reader who wants to know more about the science of canine behavior and research engaged. Todd balances these two audiences throughout her book and for this reason I feel that Wag is going to be a staple in the canine learning library for all dog people. As Todd explains in the book’s introduction: “Although I write about specific scientific studies, I’ve tried to make them easy to understand and not get too bogged down in technical details.” In this, I believe, she has been successful. I also loved the fact that, at the end of each chapter, Todd adds a summary – “bullet points telling you how to apply the science at home” – of what has been covered, which makes for a nice quick review and refresher course.

Back to that reference section! Todd organizes the references by chapter at the end of the book. This made me so happy and I am sure it’s making lots of other people happy also! Wag is bound to enrich the lives of many dogs and contribute to their welfare due to Todd’s ability to write for all audiences, and for this I am enormously grateful. n

Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy Author: Zazie Todd 304 Pages Greystone Books, Vancouver, Canada ISBN‐10: 177164379 (pbk.) ISBN‐13: 978‐1771643795 (epub)

BARKS Asks Dr. Zazie Todd: “What’s the one thing you would want pet dog guardians to know?”

On April 28, 2020, Dr. Zazie Todd was our guest on BARKS Podcasts to talk about her new book, Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy, reviewed here.

During the conversation, host Niki Tudge asked Dr. Todd to name the one thing she would want pet dog guardians to know. Here’s what she had to say: “The one thing I always pick is that you should use food to train your dog because I think when ordinary dogs owners know that, it will help them to avoid some of these dog trainers who, as you say, are not regulated, and it will help them avoid some of the pitfalls of going to an unregulated dog trainer who is going to tell you to do something else. If they're not using food to train your dog, you’ll want to know why. And the other reason is that food is a great way to motivate your dog. There’s research that shows the dogs will run faster to get a piece of sausage rather than a piece of kibble. They’re very sensitive to the reward! Use food as positive reinforcement when your dog does something that you like or that you want them to do again.”

Listen to the full podcast: bit.ly/3gcG6yb For a full list of recent BARKS Podcasts, see p.9 See also barksfromtheguild.com/podcasts